Patents Examined by Yoshitoshi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11108083
    Abstract: An electrode composite body includes: an active material molded body including active material particles which include a lithium composite oxide and have a particle shape, and a communication hole that is provided between the active material particles; a first solid electrolyte layer that is provided on a surface of the active material molded body, and includes a first inorganic solid electrolyte; and a second solid electrolyte layer that is provided on the surface of the active material molded body, and includes a second inorganic solid electrolyte of which a composition is different from a composition of the first inorganic solid electrolyte, and which contains boron as a constituent element and is crystalline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu Teraoka, Tomofumi Yokoyama, Hitoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11094973
    Abstract: The disclosed principles provide for techniques for the 3D fabrication of sensing systems that are embedded inside battery cells and provide cell parameter data for a comprehensive and an robust battery management system. The disclosed principles provide for online and real-time monitoring of battery state-of-health down to the individual cell level of each battery using embedded sensors on one or more of the internal layers of a cell, such as the dielectric separators found in such battery cells. The implementation of the disclosed principles in individual battery cells therefore provides an increased likelihood to mitigate catastrophic failures in batteries. In addition, the disclosed fabrication processes for printing sensors directly on one or more of the components or layers within each individual battery cell, significantly reduce manufacturing steps required by conventional battery management systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventor: Aleksandra Fortier
  • Patent number: 11081765
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a battery cell refillable with an electrolyte, an electrolyte refilling system for a battery pack configured to include a plurality of battery cells, and an electrolyte refilling method for a battery pack of an electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Chul Gi Hong, Jae Hyun Lee, Dong Kyu Kim, Dae Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 11081706
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a stack body of power generation cells stacked in a horizontal direction. An oxygen-containing gas flow field is formed in the fuel cell stack, for allowing an oxygen-containing gas to flow along an electrode surface of a membrane electrode assembly. A plurality of oxygen-containing gas discharge passages for discharging the oxygen-containing gas as a reactant gas pass through the fuel cell stack in a stacking direction of the power generation cells. Each of the oxygen-containing gas discharge passages is connected to an outlet. The plurality of oxygen-containing gas discharge passages are connected together by a first connection channel at an end opposite to the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Sakano, Hiroshi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 11056738
    Abstract: A metal-air battery including a cathode including a metal; an anode including a composite conductive material; a solid electrolyte layer between the cathode and the anode; and a vapor supplier configured to supply a vapor to the anode and the solid electrolyte layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mokwon Kim, Heungchan Lee, Sangbok Ma, Jungock Park, Hyunjin Kim, Wonsung Choi
  • Patent number: 11050063
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of making a catalytic electrode for a metal-air cell in which a carbon-catalyst composite is produced by heating a manganese compound in the presence of a particulate carbon material to form manganese oxide catalyst on the surfaces of the particulate carbon, and then adding virgin particulate carbon material to the carbon-catalyst composite to produce a catalytic mixture that is formed into a catalytic layer. A current collector and an air diffusion layer are added to the catalytic layer to produce the catalytic electrode. The catalytic electrode can be combined with a separator and a negative electrode in a cell housing including an air entry port through which air from outside the container can reach the catalytic electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC
    Inventor: Diana Dreher
  • Patent number: 11050105
    Abstract: A battery module includes a number of battery cells, which are connected to each other at connection poles. The battery cells have respective hard shell housings, in which at least one bus bar extends. A number of wound and/or stacked battery cells is electrically contacted by the at least one bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung SDI, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alexander Reitzle, Sarmimala Hore, Holger Fink
  • Patent number: 11043709
    Abstract: A metal-air battery including an anode layer; a solid electrolyte layer; and a cathode layer directly contacting the solid electrolyte layer. The solid electrolyte layer and the cathode layer are a single unitary and indivisible body with no physical interlayer boundary between the solid electrolyte layer and the cathode layer. A portion of the cathode layer may be within the solid electrolyte layer. The cathode layer may protrude from the solid electrolyte layer. The method of manufacturing a metal-air battery may include forming a solid electrolyte layer on an anode layer and chemically reducing solid electrolyte in a part of the solid electrolyte layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyunpyo Lee, Hyukjae Kwon, Sangbok Ma, Heungchan Lee, Dongmin Im, Wonsung Choi
  • Patent number: 11038163
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode plate having a positive electrode active material layer formed on a positive electrode core, a negative electrode plate having a negative electrode active material layer formed on a negative electrode core, and a flat-shape wound electrode body in which the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are wound through a separator. Further, a protective layer is formed on the positive electrode active material layer or the negative electrode active material layer. The protective layer contains ceramic particles and a binder, and the average particle diameter (D50) and the average particle diameter (D90) of the ceramic particles are 1.0 ?m to 1.8 ?m and 3.0 ?m to 5.0 ?m, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Matsuda, Haruya Nakai
  • Patent number: 11031619
    Abstract: A reaction cell for a flow battery having flow channels positioned within a recess of a non-porous and non-brittle housing that is also a dielectric. Positioning the flow channels within the recess eliminates the need for end plates, gaskets, and insulators of conventional designs. A current collector and an electrode within the recess have areas approximately equal to the area of the recess such that they fit within the recess and maximize the contact area between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: THE CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
    Inventors: Jonghyun Park, Mohammed Abdulkhabeer Al-Yasiri
  • Patent number: 11031609
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fuel cell stack with improved manufacturing performance. The fuel cell stack includes: a separator that comprises a diffusion part, as being provided with a diffusion channel, configured to distribute reaction gas and cooling water and a reaction part, as being continuously formed from the diffusion part and provided with a reaction channel that has a height greater than that of the diffusion channel, configured to move reaction gas distributed from the diffusion part and generate electrons by a chemical reaction; and a gas diffusion layer configured to contact the separator at the diffusion part and the reaction part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sang Mun Jin, Yoo Chang Yang
  • Patent number: 11031631
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure and method for forming the same is disclosed. The structure incudes a silicon substrate having at least one trench disposed therein. An electrical and ionic insulating layer is disposed over at least a top surface of the substrate. A plurality of energy storage device layers is formed within the one trench. The plurality of layers includes at least a cathode-based active electrode having a thickness of, for example, at least 100 nm and an internal resistance of, for example, less than 50 Ohms/cm2. The method includes forming at least one trench in a silicon substrate. An electrical and ionic insulating layer(s) is formed and disposed over at least a top surface of the silicon substrate. A plurality of energy storage device layers is formed within the trench. Each layer of the plurality of energy storage device layers is independently processed and integrated into the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John Collins, Mahadevaiyer Krishnan, Stephen Bedell, Adele L. Pacquette, John Papalia, Teodor Todorov
  • Patent number: 11021367
    Abstract: Provided is a porous lithium composite phosphate-based compound containing lithium and having open pores formed in primary particles. As the open pores are formed in the primary particles themselves, a contact area between an electrolyte and the lithium composite phosphate-based compound is maximized, and low conductivity is compensated for, such that a diffusion rate of lithium ions is remarkably increased, and when the lithium composite phosphate-based compound is used as an active material of a secondary battery, the secondary battery may be charged and discharged at a high speed. Additionally, there are advantages in that an electrode density may be significantly increased in addition to the increase in the diffusion rate of the lithium ions, and charge and discharge cycle characteristics may be significantly stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min Gu Kang, Seong Ho Lee, Jung In Yeon, Kook Hyun Han, Jung Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11024920
    Abstract: A Battery module includes a plurality of cylindrical batteries and battery a holder holding the cylindrical batteries arranged in at least one row. The battery holder includes a first side wall part, a second side wall part, and a low thermal-conductive member disposed between the side wall parts. The low thermal-conductive member includes a first partition walls interposed between respective the cylindrical batteries and the first side wall part, and the second partition walls interposed between the respective cylindrical batteries and the second side wall part. The first and the second partition walls are alternately arrayed along the row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keisuke Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11018367
    Abstract: Provided are a secondary battery and a battery pack including the secondary battery. A sealing plate has a positive electrode terminal attachment hole. A positive electrode terminal penetrates the positive electrode terminal attachment hole. An external conductive member is connected to a portion of the positive electrode terminal located on the battery outer side with respect to the sealing plate. The conduction path between a positive electrode plate and the positive electrode terminal is provided with a current interrupting mechanism. A first insulating member made of resin is disposed between the sealing plate and the positive electrode terminal. A second insulating member having higher thermal resistance than the first insulating member is disposed between the external conductive member and the sealing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Wakimoto, Yohei Muroya, Hiroyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 11018346
    Abstract: A hybrid catalyst coating composed of a conformal thin film with exsoluted PrOx nano-particles. The conformal PNM thin film can be a perovskite composition of PrNi0.5Mn0.5O3 (PNM). The PrOx nano-particles dramatically enhance the oxygen reduction reaction kinetics via a high concentration of oxygen vacancies while the thin PNM film effectively suppresses strontium segregation from the cathode of an intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Meilin Liu, Dong Ding, Yu Chen, Lei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11011810
    Abstract: Disclosed is a stacked battery that can flow a larger rounding current in a short-circuit current shunt part than in an electric element when a short circuit occurs in the short-circuit current shunt part and the electric element in nailing, the stacked battery in which an electrical resistance of a current collector tab of the short-circuit current shunt part is smaller than an electrical resistance of a current collector tab of the electric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hajime Hasegawa, Norihiro Ose, Shigenori Hama, Hideaki Nishimura, Yuki Matsushita, Yusuke Okuhata, Mitsuru Tateishi, Hideyo Ebisuzaki
  • Patent number: 11001912
    Abstract: A tantalum or tantalum alloy which contains pure or substantially pure tantalum and at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Mo, W and Re to form a tantalum alloy that is resistant to aqueous corrosion. The invention also relates to the process of preparing the tantalum alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: H.C. STARCK INC.
    Inventors: Paul R. Aimone, Evan Hinshaw
  • Patent number: 11005115
    Abstract: Disclosed here is a supported catalyst comprising a thermally stable core, wherein the thermally stable core comprises a metal oxide support and nickel disposed in the metal oxide support, wherein the metal oxide support comprises at least one base metal oxide and at least one transition metal oxide or rare earth metal oxide mixed with or dispersed in the base metal oxide. Optionally the supported catalyst can further comprise an electrolyte removing layer coating the thermally stable core and/or an electrolyte repelling layer coating the electrolyte removing layer, wherein the electrolyte removing layer comprises at least one metal oxide, and wherein the electrolyte repelling layer comprises at least one of graphite, metal carbide and metal nitride. Also disclosed is a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising the supported catalyst as a direct internal reforming catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Jin-Yun Wang, Mohammad Farooque, Ramakrishnan Venkataraman, Chao-Yi Yuh, April Corpuz
  • Patent number: 10992007
    Abstract: A battery case includes a first cell accommodating portion that accommodates a first number of battery cells, and a second cell accommodating portion that accommodates a second number of battery cells, smaller than the first number. The second cell accommodating portion is shorter than the first cell accommodating portion in one of three directions parallel to sides of the battery case. The battery case further includes a board accommodating portion, which is adjacent to the second cell accommodating portion in the one of the three directions, and that accommodates a circuit board therein; a first partition wall arranged between the first cell accommodating portion and the board accommodating portion; and a second partition wall arranged between the second cell accommodating portion and the board accommodating portion. Thus, the thickness of the battery is reduced and the circuit board is separated from the battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideo Kohda